Specimen analyzing method and specimen analyzing apparatus

Abstract

A specimen analyzing method and a specimen analyzing apparatus capable of measuring interference substances before analyzing a specimen. The method comprises a step for sucking the specimen stored in a specimen container ( 150 ) and sampling it in a first container ( 153 ), a step for optically measuring the specimen in the first container, a step for sampling the specimen in a second container ( 154 ) and preparing a specimen for measurement by mixing the specimen with a reagent in the second container, and a step for analyzing the specimen for measurement according to the results of the optical measurement of the specimen.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A specimen analyzing apparatus comprising:
 a cuvette supplier configured to supply one or more cuvettes configured for optical interrogation; 
 a specimen pipette configured to dispense a specimen stored in a specimen container into a cuvette; 
 a reagent holder configured to hold a reagent container; 
 a reagent pipette configured to dispense a reagent stored in the reagent container into a cuvette which contains the specimen so as to prepare a measurement sample; 
 a light source; 
 a first optical information acquiring section configured to optically interrogate a specimen by using a light led from the light source, 
 a first light guide which guides light emitted from the light source to the first optical information acquiring section; 
 a second optical information acquiring section configured to optically interrogate a measurement sample by using a light led from the light source; 
 a second light guide which guides light emitted from the light source to the second optical information acquiring section; 
 a transport mechanism configured to transport the one or more cuvettes along a transportation path; and 
 a controller programmed to detect a presence of an interfering substance in the specimen by using a result of the interrogation by the first optical information acquiring section, and to analyze the measurement sample by using a result of the interrogation by the second optical information acquiring section, 
 wherein the first light guide and the second light guide simultaneously guides light emitted from the light source to the first optical information acquiring section and to the second optical information acquiring section. 
 
     
     
       2. The specimen analyzing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to output an alert when detecting the presence of the interfering substance. 
     
     
       3. The specimen analyzing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to control the reagent pipette to refrain from preparing the measurement sample when detecting the presence of the interfering substance. 
     
     
       4. The specimen analyzing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the second optical information acquiring section is configured to interrogate the measurement sample by using a plurality of wavelengths of light; 
 the result of the interrogation by the second optical information acquiring section includes a plurality of data respectively corresponding to the plurality of wavelengths of light; and 
 the controller is programmed to select one of the data corresponding to one of the plurality of wavelengths of light to analyze the sample. 
 
     
     
       5. The specimen analyzing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the specimen pipette is configured to dispense a specimen into a cuvette located at a first position on the transportation path; 
 the first optical information acquiring section is configured to optically interrogate a specimen in a cuvette located at a second position on the transportation path; 
 the reagent pipette is configured to dispense a reagent into a cuvette located at a third position on the transportation path; and 
 the second optical information acquiring section is configured to optically interrogate a measurement sample in a cuvette located at a fourth position on the transportation path, 
 wherein the third position and the fourth position are at the downstream side of the first position and the second position. 
 
     
     
       6. The specimen analyzing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second optical information acquiring section is configured to accommodate a plurality of cuvettes, and comprises a plurality of optical detectors corresponding to the plurality of cuvettes. 
     
     
       7. The specimen analyzing apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the second optical information acquiring section is configured to lead the light emitted from the light source to each of the plurality of cuvettes accommodated therein. 
     
     
       8. The specimen analyzing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the second optical information acquiring section comprises branches of optical fibers to lead the light emitted from the light source to each of the plurality of cuvettes accommodated therein. 
     
     
       9. The specimen analyzing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the light source is configured to emit light of a plurality of wavelengths. 
     
     
       10. The specimen analyzing apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the second optical information acquiring section is configured to lead light of more than one wavelength among the plurality of wavelengths to each of the plurality of cuvettes accommodated therein. 
     
     
       11. The specimen analyzing apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the first optical information acquiring section is configured to lead light of at least three wavelengths among the plurality of wavelengths to the cuvette. 
     
     
       12. The specimen analyzing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the cuvette supplier comprises a container for receiving a supply of a plurality of cuvettes by a user. 
     
     
       13. The specimen analyzing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a disposal box in which one or more used cuvettes are stored, and wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the one or more used cuvettes from the second optical information acquiring section to the disposal box. 
     
     
       14. The specimen analyzing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the disposal box comprises a grasp portion for a user to draw out. 
     
     
       15. The specimen analyzing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the specimen pipette is configured to pierce a lid of the specimen container to aspirate a specimen in the specimen container. 
     
     
       16. The specimen analyzing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to detect a presence of at least one of hemoglobin, lipid and bilirubin as the interfering substance in the specimen. 
     
     
       17. The specimen analyzing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to analyze quantity or degree of activity of substance related to coagulative or fibrinolytic function of blood.